Railway-crossing signal.



H. A. HARRISON.

' RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. i916.

Patented 11111.9,1917.

aftonmq l a citizen of the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. HARRISON, OF SYKESTOWIT, NORTH DAKOTA.

RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917'.

Application filed March 10, 1916. Serial No. 85,313.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IlnNRY A. Hanm'son', United States, residing at useful Improvements in. Railway-Crossing Signals, 0t which the following is a specifieation.

This invention relates to improvements in rallway crossing signals and has particular application to a train controlled signal for use at the intersection of a highway with a railway.

In or trying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a train controlled signal tor use at the point of intersection of a h1ghway with a railway which will be automatically operated to signaling position 'bya train approaching the crossing so as to warn the pedestrians and the drivers of vehicles upon the highway of the proximity of the train, and which will be automati cally restored to clear position as the train is passing the crossing so that alter the train has passed the crossing. trallic over the highway may be resumed with safety.

It is also my purpose to provide a device hr the class described which will operate etliciently and ell'ecthely under all conditions. \\'lll('l\ may he installed and maintained at a minimum expense and which will embody com 'mralively few parts and these so arranged and correlated as to redraw the possibility ol' derangenn-nl. to a minimum.

'ilh the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the constructi n, combinati n and arrangement of parts heresco pe ol' the claims.

1n the ma-ompanying drawings: l igure 1 is a top plan view ot-a trackway andhighway showing my invention installed, Fig. 2 isan enlarged longitudinal sectionalview inal'lerset l'orlh in and falling within the through the signalapparatus taken on a plane parallel wilh the lrackway, Fig. I. is a similar view taken on a plane parallel with l designates a railway and 2 a highway in tcrsccting the r.-iilway l. Arranged at the point of lnlersectlon ol the railway and the highway is a right angular cas ng having *one 4 lying parallel with the trackway and the other leg Sparallel with the highway. Rotatably mounted in the casing at the juncture of the legs thereofis a drum 6 seeured'to a vertical axle 7 having the ends thereof journaled in the top and bottom walls 8 and 9 respectively of the casinm.

the highway leg and at the outer end of the track leg respectively. Pivoted within these slots are levers 12, and connected to the lower end of the lever 12 in" the opening 11 is one end of a wire 13 or other flexible element. The opposite end of the wire 13 is wound about the drum 6 as indicated at 15 and anchored as at 16, being terminated at the lever 12 mounted in theopening' 10. .lonrnaled in the outer end of the highway leg of'the casing is a vertical shaft .17 and secured to the upper end of the shaft is a signal blade 18,. while fastened to the lower end of the shaft within the casing a cross arnr19 intersecting the plane of tl e'signal cident to the initial impulse.delivered tovthe lever 12 by a train. I

The lever in the slot 11 is arranged a suitable distance fronrthc highway while the lever in the slot 10 is disposed mu ieiliately adjacent to. the highway and when the track is clear the signal bladezlS lies pa rallelwith the highway, while the lever in the slot-ll is in vertical position and the lever in" the slot 10 in an inclined position. In Fig. 5. [have shown one tormof means for actuating the signal which means com 'irises preferably an arm 23 rigidly-earriedby the pilot 24 of a locomotive and lastened at the lower portion thereof and adapted to project laterally therefrom.

When a train approaches the crossing 2 moving in the direction ol the arrow in Fig. l the arm 23 carried on the pilot 24 of a locomotive engages the arm 11 moving the same forward against the tension of the spring 13, this movement being transmitted through the cable or wire13 and drum 6 to the lever cable 20 and thence to the signal 18 causing the same to be turned at right angles to the roadway presenting the word Stop to view. Of course, it is to be understood that the position of the lever 11 is reasonably remote from the crossing so as to give the warning signal in due time. hen the locomotive or train reaches a point adjacent the crossing the lever 12, having been moved to vertical position by the set ting of the-signal, is now returned to the position shown in Fig. 2 which rotates the drum sui'liciently to return the signal 18 to non-indicating position to permit tra'l'lie to be resumed over the crossing It will be apparent, of course, that the relative positions of the signal, roadway, and actuating means for the signal may be changed at will without departing from the spirit of my invention, and if desired the signal 18 may be placed in the center of the roadway or to one side as has been shown in Fig. 1. This, of course, will not affect materially my invention. In some instances the wires 13 and '20 need not be anchored to the drum but 1 find this arrangement to be preferable. Also it is to be understood that the arm 23 shown attached to the pilot 24. is only one form of actuating means for the signal.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, 1 wish it to be understood that I do not limit or conline myself to the precise details of construction herein de scribed and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

W hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. A railway crossing signal comprising a right angular casing having one leg lying parallel with the traclcway and the other leg parallel with the highway, a drum rotatably mounted in said casing at the juncture of the legs thcrcoil, levers pivoted within the track leg of said casing adjacent to the inner and outer ends of said leg respectively, a connection between said levers and drum whereby the latter will be rotated in one direction in the operation of one of the levers and in the reverse direction in the operation of the other lever, a vertical shaft journaled in the outer end of the highway leg of said casing, a signal bladeon the upper end of said vertical shaft, and connections between said shaft and drum whereby the shaft will be rotated to move the blade to signaling position in the rotation of the drum in one direction and the shaft rotated to restore the blade to normal position in the other movement of the drum.

A railway crossing signal comprising a right angular casing having one leg lying parallel with the trackway and the other leg pa 'allel with the higlnvay, a drum rotatably mounted in said casiiig at the juncture of the legs thereof, levers pivoted within the track leg of said casing adjacent to the inner and outer ends of said leg respectively, a connection between said levers and drum whereby the latter will be rotated in one direction in the operation of one of the levers and in the reverse direction in the operation of the other lover, a vertical shaft jourualed in the outer end of the highway leg of said casin a signal blade on the upper end of said vertical shaft, a cross arm connected to the lower end of said vertical shaft, and a flexible connection between the ends of said cross arm and said drum.

:3. in a railroad crossing signal comprising a right angular casing having one leg lying parallel with the tracluvay and the other leg parallel to the highway, a drum rotatably mounted at the jointure of said legs, a vertical shaft journaled in said casing, a signal blade mounted on the upper end of the shaft, :1 cross arm intersecting the plane of the signal blade at right angles and mounted on the lower end of the said vertical shaft, a llexible element attached to one end of the said cross arm and then wound about the said drum, the free end of the flexible element being attached to the opposite end of the cross arm, track trips arranged proximate and remote of the crossing, a flexible element connecting said track trips and. said. drum, and shock absorbing means associated with one of said flexible elements.

in testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. HARRISO \Vit nesses:

Guns. L. SMITH, Kw. C. Seminar. 

